Department of Energy: Implementation and Use of Other Transactions Authority Provided in the Energy Policy Act of 2005

摘要

Since the Department of Energy (DOE) was established in 1977, one of its missions has been to promote the nation's energy security through research, development, and demonstration of advanced technologies for meeting future energy demands and diversifying the nation's energy portfolio. As part of this mission, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy conducts research, development, and demonstration activities in partnership with industry to advance a diverse supply of clean power technologies. The fiscal year 2008 budget for these activities was $1.7 billion. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, the first comprehensive energy legislation in more than a decade, includes provisions to address the nation's long-term energy challenges. Key goals of the act include diversifying the nation's energy supply by promoting alternative and renewable sources of energy and by investing in science and technology. Provisions in the act promote the use of solar and wind power, establish a loan-guarantee program to encourage private investment in new energy technologies, and authorize demonstration projects for producing ethanol from cellulosic sources such as forest residues, agricultural residues, and scrap wood. To provide DOE with more flexibility to enter into agreements with private-sector entities, section 1007 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the Secretary of Energy the ability to use 'other transactions authority.' This authority, similar to that previously authorized for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, allows an agency to enter into agreements 'other than' standard contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. DOE's limited use of other transactions authority is consistent with the language in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 specifying that the authority is to be used only if contracts or other financial assistance mechanisms are not feasible or appropriate.